The iPhone’s “Silence Unknown Callers” is a feature designed to enhance user experience by filtering out calls from numbers not recognized in your contacts, voicemail, or messages. It’s a defense against the intrusion of spam and telemarketing calls. However, it’s not without its flaws, as it may inadvertently block calls from new acquaintances or vital services.
Understanding Silence Unknown Callers: Pros and Cons
This function, available on iOS 13 and later, silences calls from numbers not saved in your contacts. If you’ve previously interacted with a number via text or email, those calls will still come through. While it’s beneficial for screening out unwanted calls, it’s a double-edged sword, potentially causing missed connections with important new contacts.
Steps to Turn Off Silence Unknown Callers
To ensure you’re reachable by all, particularly for crucial communications, follow these steps to disable the feature:
- Access Settings on your iPhone.
- Navigate to Phone in the Settings menu.
- Select Silence Unknown Callers.
- Disable the feature by toggling the control.
Note: Activating this feature will not affect it for 24 hours following an emergency call. This ensures you’re reachable for any follow-up communication in critical situations.